Women&#39;s undergarments



June 26, 1956 S. S. ALBERTS WOMEN'S UNDERGARMENTS Filed Aug. 9 1951 WOMENS UNDERGARMENTS Sydney S. Alberts, Yonkers, N. Y.

Application August 9, 1951, Serial No. 241,009

6 Claims. (Cl. 2-42) The present invention relates to womens garments and more particularly to a structure for providing resistance against rolling or bending of the free edge of a confining or snug fitting garment such as a brassiere or girdle.

It is well known that it is important for the comfort of the wearer and the proper positioning on the body of the wearer of a supporting or confining undergarment or other snug fitting garment that the free edges thereof remain flat against the wearers body. This is especially important along the upper free edge of a girdle at the waistline of the wearer and along the front lower free edge of a brassiere under the breast pockets thereof.

The rolling or folding over of the waist band of a girdle not only causes discomfort tothe wearer but also has a tendency to create an unsightly appearance due to a bunching or gathering of the fabric. The rolling of the waist band'also has a tendency to permit the garment to ride upwardly on the body of the wearer thereby assuming an improper position on the wearers body.

The rolling or folding over of the lower edge of a brassiere under the breastv pockets thereof not only has a tendency to cause discomfort to the wearer, but also diminishes the desirable uplifting effect of the garment. When the lower edge rolls, the brassiere has a tendency to shift downwardly thereby reducing the effective uplift, permitting the adjacent flesh of the wearer to sag, creating an undesirable appearance and physical effect.

It is therefore the primary object of the present invention to provide a structure for preventing the free edge of a womans confining or supporting undergarment or any other snug fitting garment from rolling or folding over. It is the object of the invention to provide a structure which will resist this rolling over, thereby eliminating the many many associated deleterious eifects therefrom.

l-Ieretofore, attempts have been made to prevent the rolling or folding over of the free edge of such garments as brassieres or girdles by employing stays or other semirigid or non-elastic members. This, however, merely substitutes one cause of discomfort for another and has not proved satisfactory. The stays or other semi-rigid or non-elastic members cause the garment to be too inflexible and are for this reason unsatisfactory.

In its broadestaspecga structure embodying the present invention is provided with an elastic fabric insert member or overlaping member anchored at both ends and positioned in the garment along a free edge thereof, with the direction of elasticity substantially parallel to said edge and substantially perpendicular to the direction in which the garment has a tendency to roll or fold over. The overlapping or inserted member should have certain properties in order for it to function properly. It should preferably be elastic in only one direction and this direction of elasticity should be such that it is substantially parallel to the free edge of the garment. The member should have the property of resisting bending in a direction perpendicular to the direction of elasticity. If the fabric from which this insert or overlapping member is made has some bulk it will have a natural tendency to resist rolling or i nited States Patent 6 bending in the direction perpendicular to the direction of the elasticity.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be more readily apparent from the following description and drawing of one particular embodiment thereof, as applied in the construction of a brassiere.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a front view of a brassiere embodying in its construction, the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged partially broken away view of the portion of the brassiere beneath the breast pockets; and

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along line .3-3 on Fig. 1.

Although the drawings illustrate only the application of the invention to a brassiere, it will be readily understood from the following description that the structure embodying the invention can be employed in other types of womens snug fitting, confining or supporting garments or the like, such as bathing suits, girdles, etc.

The brassiere of Fig. l is provided with the conventional breast pockets 10, body encircling band 11, and shoulder straps 12, the forward portions of band 11 constituting the side sections of the garment. One of the portions of the body encircling band 11 terminates in longitudinally elastic strap 13 and is provided with eyes 14 adapted to engage hooks (not shown) on the end of the other portion of the body encircling band 11.

Secured to the lower edge of the breast pockets 10 are two longitudinally elastic sections 15. The sections 15 are folded over along their lower edge 16 and secured by seam 17 to the lower edge of thebreast pockets 10. The outer ends of the sections 15 are secured to the body encircling bands 11 by seams 18.1 The sections 15 are constituted of an elastic fabric primarily elastic along the direction of a line substantially parallel to the lower edge of the brassiere, as indicated by arrows A.

a The two sections 15 overlap eachother at the center of the garment as indicated at 20 and are secured together by V-forming seams 21.

Seated between the two sides of the sections 15 are two reinforcing strips 22. The reinforcing strips 22 are constituted of elastic fabric and are primarily elastic along the direction of a line parallel to the lower edge of the garment as indicated by the arrows B. Each of the strips 22 is anchored to the brassiere at both ends thereof, being secured at the outer end to the body encircling band 11 by seams 18 and to the center member by the seams 21.

The properties of elastic strips 22 that are necessary for them to function properly are that they be primarily elastic in one direction and that they resist bending or rolling in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the elasticity. If the fabric has a suflicient amount of bulk it will normaHy resist bendingin the direction perpendicular to the direction of elasticity. This resistance is normally accentuated when the elastic member is under a slight amount of tension. It can be seen, therefore, that, when worn, the garment illustrated will havethe property of resisting rolling or bending of the portion beneath the breast pockets, and that this portion will remain flat against the body of the wearer.

While in the form illustrated the reinforcing strips 22 are enclosed within thesection 15, this is not necessary and these strips may be secured to an outer surface of the sections 15 so long as they are firmly anchored at both ends.

It should be noted that the members 22 are separated from and free of the lower edge of the breast pockets 10. This provides a certain amount of flexibility and adds to the comfortable fit of the garment. While the members 22 are shown as being completely free of the lower edge of the breast pockets 10, they could be joined a of 9a girdle.

' spirit of the invention. Some of these variations will now be pointed out.

If desired, the sections 22-couldbe formed of one single piece of fabric extending across the entire lower edge of the garment adjacent to the lower edge of the breast pockets 20.

The section 22 could be made in part of a non-elastic fabric as long .as' there is su'fiicient elastic fabric to prevent the discomfort caused by the rigidity and stillness imparted by .suh non-elastic portions.

The ends of the section 22 do not have to be secured to the body encircling .band 11 but could be secured to the elastic sections 15, and may be secured between any two points on the sections '15.

Another embodiment is possible with the inner ends of the members 22 being secured directly to the lower edge of the breast pockets 10. In this structure the oblique lines at .the inner ends of the members 22 would be more exaggerated and would be substantially parallel to the vlower edges of the respective breast pockets 10. In this modification the inner ends of the two members 22 would overlap each other at the center of the garment.

In another embodiment, as in a girdle or similar garment, the composite section 15-22 maybe located along a top or bottom edge or other free edge of the garment,

extending along the entire edge, between any two points therealong, .or in multiple sections in spaced relationship therealong.

-] clairni l. A garment of the class described comprising a pair of breast pockets, side sections secured, one to each of the outer side edges of said pockets, said side sectionsv being connected together at the rear to secure the garment in'position, two flattened tubular elastic members secured, one along the lower .edge of each of said pockets and having their outer-ends secured'to said respective side sections below said pockets, the portions of said tubular members 7 adjacent their respective inner ends overlapping one an-' other and being secured together by seaming and their inner upper ends being joined to the lower edge of "the oppcsite breast pocket, an elongated fiat strip of elastic .tabric disposed within each of said flattened tubular members," the outer ends of said strips being anchored 'to said side sections, and the inner ends of said stripsbeirrg secured to said seaming, said flattened tubulm members being transversely flexible and forming flexible hinges between said elastic strips and said pockets 'the fabric of said elastic strip being heavier and bulkier than the fabric-of said flattened tubular member and providingresistance to rolling and bending of the lower edge of the garment.

2. In a 'garmentof the class :described having a band portion constructed to surround the body of the wearer and a structure along an edge of said garment for preventing the rolling -.or bending of said garment edge, said structure comprising two elastic strips both primarily stretchable in the direction of their length, one strip having greater bulk than the other, the lighter of said strips overlying the heavier, both 'of said "strips being secured at their ends to said garment, the lighter strip being secured to said garment along said edge thereof, the strip having greater bulk being unattached to said edge along at least the major portion of its length and providing resistance to rolling or bending and the lighter strip serving to maintain the heavier strip inposition along the edge of the garment. r r

Re. 16,641 Harsh a May 31, 1927 1,514,218 M'etz Nov. 4, 19 24 7 1,544,245 Lendresse "l, June 30, 1925 1 1,698,070 Roth Jan. 8, 1929 2,300,153 Herbener Oct. 27, 1942 2,482,640 Spiess Sept. 20, 1949 2,560,706

3. In a brassiere having a pair of breast pockets and a body encircling band portion secured at its ends to the outer edge 'of said pockets, two elastic strips both primarily 7 stretchable in the direction of their length, one strip having greater bulk than the .other, the lighter of said strips overlying the heavier, both of said strips being securedat their ends to said garment, the lighter strip being also secured throughout the lower edge of said pockets, the strip having greater bulk being unattached to said edge along at least the major portion ofits length and providing resistance to rolling'or bending and the lighter strip serving to maintain the heavier strip in position along the edge of the garment. p

4. A close fitting garment of the class described comprising a fabric part forlitting snugly against the wearers body along an edge ofsaid garment, and elastic means for imparting circumferential tension around the wearers body to maintain such .snug fitting, said elastic means comprising a first member of elastic material stretchable in a longitudinal direction and securedalong its length and at each of its ends to said-edge of the garment and a second member of elastic material, also stretchable in a longitudinal direction, overlyingsaid first elastic member.

and attached-at its opposite ends respectively to said first elastic member and to said garment, said second elastic member being unattached tosaid edge along atv least the major portion of its length, the fabric of said second .7 elastic member having greater bulk than the fabric of said first elastic member. 7

5. A garment as claimed in claim'4 in which said, first elastic member is constituted by oneside wall of a tubular sheath of flattened cross-section,said second elastic member beingenclosed within said sheath.

6. Abrassiere comprising apair of breast pockets and. a body-encircling'band portion secured at its ends to the outer edges o'fsaid breast pockets, in which the lower free T edge of said brassiere under said breast pockets comprises two sheath-like elastic fabric sections, each secured to the lower edge of one of said pockets and each secured at its outer-end to said body-encircling band portion, and

an elastic member disposed within each of said sheath.-

like elastic fabric sections, each of said elastic members being secured at one end to the'body-encircling' band portion and at'thc opposite end substantially centrally of said two sheath-like elastic fabric sections, said elastic members being primarily elastic in a direction substantially parallel to the'lower freeedge of said brassiere.

References Cited in'the file of this patent UNITED SIATES'P ATENTS Spetalnik July 'I7 1951-- 

